We took these photos at the Aquarium of Niagara in the Niagara Falls State Park on the U.S. side of the river. The aquarium has a wonderful collection of marine life including a live sea lion show daily.
Two years later
Taken on June 20, 2020
Taken on June 25, 2021
Taken on May 26, 2022
This Black Cherry was one we got free from the Conservation Service and Indiana DNR. The first picture was taken on June 20, 2020 shortly after being planted. The sapling was then in a cage for protection, and the top visible rung on the cage is less than 2 feet high. The second picture was taken on June 25, 2021. Then the tree was a little over 6 feet tall. The tree has reached a little over 12 feet in height now. It’s amazing how quickly this Black Cherry has grown.
Roses are on the way
Pretty blooms are coming soon!
Raindrop covered tulip tree leaf
A sudden heavy downpour was over as soon as it started this morning, offering a peaceful scene of raindrops clinging to a tulip tree
Unique White Bronze cemetery monuments
When you come across a blueish colored grave monument you can’t help but wonder how it has maintained its lettering and clarity of the dates. No, it is not a later replacement, it is the original zinc metal grave marker. Manufactured by the Bridgeport, CT. Bronze Company, these long lasting but somewhat fragile monuments were custom made from 1876 until 1914.
When you tap on the surface of these monuments you can immediately tell it is metal. The seams where the individual pieces are joined are also obvious. Each piece was cast in Bridgeport and then shipped to the cemetery for installation. Customers dealt with sales reps armed with multiple catalogues with unlimited possibilities for choice of monuments.
Name/dates of deceased and panel with “Shaking Hands”
“HOW DESOLATE OUR HOME BEREFT OF THEE”
The zinc-tin alloy used in the castings did not rust and resisted the growth of mold or algae. Each monument was custom ordered, so all are one of a kind. The designs included panels that were screwed in and could even be changed at a later date, if desired. These were perfect for symbols like the shaking hands, sheaves of wheat or personal messages in addition to the name and dates of the deceased.
A smaller monument
Name/date still legible after nearly 140 years
The material of these was advertised as White Bronze. White Bronze doesn’t exist. These are made with a zinc-tin alloy. The company, however, felt that White Bronze is a much classier and sophisticated name than zinc. They also claimed (of course!) that their monuments would outlast any stone monument. In a way that was true, however these zinc beauties were susceptible to breakage from, for example, falling trees. In addition, very tall monuments could suffer over time from settlement of part of the bases.
This panel would have been custom ordered for the monument
The next time you are enjoying a relaxing walk through a cemetery or graveyard keep an eye out for different looking monuments. Go have a look, it just might be a one of a kind White Bronze monument that was cast in Bridgeport, Connecticut between 1876 and 1914.
Spotted some llamas
We saw a small group of llamas over the weekend. Some ignored us, however the large black male did not lower his head while we were stopped watching these animals.
Young immature robin
This young robin was hopping around the yard, constantly looking at the ground on the earth worm hunt. The young bird’s plumage still has its early “speckled” feathers. It won’t be long until this robin will sport that famous solid color red-breast.
More ripe strawberries
More strawberries are growing on our plants. It is fun watching them grow, and even more fun when we benefit from eating them.
A classic 1877 covered bridge still in service
Rush County, Indiana is in the east central part of the state. On CR 150 North an 1877 historic covered bridge crosses over Flat Rock River.
Looking west on CR 150 North
The bridge was constructed by the A.M. Kennedy and Sons company, one of three large bridge construction companies building bridges in Indiana. This bridge is 121 feet long, 15.4 feet wide with a clear height of 13.5 feet above the wood deck. The design of this bridge is a Covered Burr arch-truss style.
Family name proudly displayed
Fancy filigree adds a touch of class
Structural details
Standing center span, looking upstream
This beautiful bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 2, 1983. There is mention that the bridge did suffer some damage a while back when a fire broke out. Repairs included adding several reinforcing steel plates to some structural members. Standing on the wood bridge deck it is easy to imagine hearing the clip clop of horses crossing this bridge long before cars were invented.
I’ve never seen a tree like this before
At first from a distance I thought it might be a very large monument in the Arlington East Hill Cemetery. As we walked through the grounds and got closer it looked somehow like a huge tree.
Looks like a very tall monument
Getting closer it looks more like a dead tree
Close up you can for sure see it is a huge dead tree. The outside surface is very smooth in parts, and it certainly looks like layers twisted tightly around the trunk of the tree. Never seen anything like this. One side has a rather swirled layered look as well.
Looks like twisted layers. Looks rather weird.
The open trunk lower down is very interesting.
Not a common look on a tree trunk
Another view, also uncommon in a tree
This is one of the strangest trees I have ever seen. It started out looking like a large monument in the cemetery. And the closer you got the more you saw the tree. And the details were even more not tree like it seems. Wish I knew what species of tree this is/was. It is located in the Arlington East Hill Cemetery near Arlington, Indiana.
Roadtirement 